Cleveland Browns' Shedeur Sanders' Maturity Questioned After Speeding Ticket

"Judgement is 50 percent of being a quarterback," Cowherd said Wednesday. "When you fall to 144 in the draft and then try to match that number behind the wheel of a car, I don't think the same."

Cowherd is notorious for no-nonsense opinions on young NFL quarterbacks, namely targeting another Browns draftee in Baker Mayfield for years before and after his career began in 2018.

While raising concerns about his maturity, Cowherd compared Sanders to Mayfield and other regretful quarterback decisions Cleveland has made in recent years, including Johnny Manziel and Deshaun Watson.

"You ignored signs with Manziel and Baker," Cowherd said. "And apparently, based on the traffic violation, Shedeur was avoiding some signs too: The ones that say stop. I feel differently today. I'm not as high on him. I'm not sure he's mature enough."

After months of projections had him in the first round, including No. 3 overall in Cowherd's final mock, Sanders dropped to No. 144 in the fifth round of April's NFL draft.

He's now subdued in a widely-discussed quarterback battle with veteran gunslinger Joe Flacco, middling journeyman Kenny Pickett and a fellow rookie drafted two rounds ahead of him, Dillon Gabriel.

While noting that he has "championed" Sanders as a potentially great NFL quarterback, Cowherd harkened back to his pre-draft antics and father, Colorado coach Deion Sanders. He mouthed a common ploy many used to explain his descent in retrospect.

"That cringey, awful, 'Legendary' draft room. Bro, you're a B prospect," Cowherd said. "Your dad's 'Prime Time,' who led with his ego for years, you gotta have a little self-awareness. I had more than one GM say [to me] 'Total turnoff,'. . . It's a bad look."

As inarguably the NFL's most polarizing rookie, Sanders' speeding ticket may intensify the already volatile discourse that's followed him since he quarterbacked the Jackson State Tigers.

However, with no prior history of off-field issues, Sanders shouldn't see his chances of starting for Cleveland significantly dip.

That being said, Sanders could face internal discipline beyond the fines he currently owes to Cleveland police. It's a fair hit to his public reputation, especially considering the thin ice he'd already skated on in April.

But unlike Cowherd's assessment, the incident hasn't reflected traits Sanders has displayed as a quarterback and citizen throughout his time with the Browns.

Amidst the jabs, Cowherd touted his ability to alter judgment as new information arises. Time will tell if he'll change his tune again as news cycles gear toward Sanders's rookie campaign this fall.